Alumni Spotlight - Jennifer Griffith

by Liz Wilson

"USU was a great place to learn- not just academics, but sound skills and life skills. It was a great
place to transition from kid to adult." Jennifer Griffith isn't the first Aggie to agree that Utah State is a
great place to get a head start in life. The transition from kid to adult is taken on by thousands of Aggies
each year. And most would agree that the skills they learned in Logan have served them better than
they could have imagined.

Jennifer came to Utah State following in the footsteps of both her parents and grandparents.
Her parents, Bill and Tina Stewart, each graduated from Utah State with degrees in English in 1968.
Even her grandparents were Utah State Alumni Boyd Stewart graduated in 1941 and his wife, Sybil,
graduated in 1942. Jennifer's five siblings all graduated from Utah State as well, making her attendance
part of a family tradition. Her decision to graduate with a degree in English was also made as a
result of her family's influence. "Both my parents graduated with English degrees from USU in 1968.
They became teachers. I enrolled at USU with an open mind but found myself drawn to the English
department again and again. Great professors with big ideas and challenging subject matter pulled me
in," said Jennifer.

The English Department at USU helped give Jennifer the tools to become successful both before
and after graduation. While completing her degree, she was part of the first class of Rhetoric
Associates, a peer review group organized by Dr. Joyce Kinkead, a professor in the department of
English. "Although I did other things, this job prepared me most to be a writer, to look at writing
critically, and to help improve my own and others writing."

Jennifer graduated in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science degree in English and a Technical Writing
emphasis, minoring in Japanese. She then went on to work in politics for five years thanks to an
internship she did with the help of the Political Science department. "After my marriage when my
family began, my writing degree's usefulness really kicked in. My husband's encouragement and support
in pursuing becoming a novelist combined with my training from Utah State to help push my success
forward," said Jennifer.

Her most recent novel, Big in Japan Big in Japan was released in July of 2012 through the publishing house
run by fellow Aggie Christopher Loke. Jolly Fish Press is a new publishing house out of Provo which is run
by the former Aggie. "I believe he received a degree in Journalism from Utah State before going to work
for Penguin books," said Jennifer. "He's stuck out on his own now, and I'm the lucky beneficiary of his
entrepreneurship." Since 2004 Jennifer has had 4 novels published and is working on another. She
continues writing to ensure her skills learned at USU never go unused. She advises fellow writers to
"learn all you can about writing-through classes, self-study, workshops, a critique group, and effort.
Keep writing every day, try to improve on one skill every month and never give up- even when rejections
roll in."

While Jennifer continues to put pen to paper, her family comes first. "I'm a full time mother of
five, running the household and managing the chaos. In between those duties, I'm a novelist." She
currently lives in Arizona with her family.

Newest Alumni Video

6 Ways to Ensure Your Kids Become Aggies

It's one of many parent's greatest fears – when the time comes for their high-school-aged child to decide where they want to further their education - and they pick a school that is NOT their parents' alma mater. As if there were any other options.

OK, so maybe it's not a "greatest" fear of many parents. Or even a fear at all. But when you had memorable experiences and received a valuable education at USU, it's only natural to want similar experiences and a quality education for your son or daughter.

Career Aggie Network

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Homecoming Recap

Aggie to Aggie Networking Lunch

Aggie to Aggie Networking Luncheons are held quarterly in the downtown Salt Lake City area. They are open to all Aggies and friends, and create an opportunity for attendees to hear a great speaker, enjoy a lunch hour together and create or expand their personal network. Past events have included Men's Basketball coach Stew Morrill, Huntsman School of Business instructor Eric Schulz, and many other interesting speakers. Best of all, the Alumni Association always brings Famous Aggie Ice Cream!

Mark your calendar for the upcoming Aggie to Aggie event on Tuesday, March 5th. The event will be held in the Founders Room on the 18th Floor of the Zions Bank Building, 1 South Main Street, Salt Lake City. Please visit www.usu.edu/alumni/events for complete information.

Tahitian Jewels - Oceania Cruises, Jan 27 - Feb 7, 2013

Savor the tropical splendor of emerald-green palms, white sand beaches, and brilliant turquoise waters as you sail aboard the luxurious Oceania Cruises Marina to the most stunning destinations in the South Pacific, the gorgeous Polynesian islands. Experience a cruise with the finest service, accommodations, and cuisine at sea, where every port of call is an island paradise. Admire multihued lagoons around Moorea, be engulfed by tropical splendor at Huahine, "The Garden Island," and discover the region's cultural heritage on beautiful Raiatea. Watch a sunset on romantic Bora Bora, and wander the black sand beaches of Nuku Hiva. Sail to Hiva Oa, artist Paul Gauguin's idyllic island home, and enchant your senses with colorful sea life on Rangiroa before returning to Papeete on the lovely island of Tahiti. Set adrift, catch the breeze, and discover Polynesia's most beautiful gems on this exceptional voyage.

"Always an Aggie" Blog

We also have a brand new blog with articles, blog posts, videos, pictures and more to help you make it
through the daily grind of life. We'll be updating our blog regularly, so save it as one of your favorites to
make sure you don't miss anything.

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Aggie ClassNotes

David Harris, Class of 1991

Logan Simpson Design Inc. is pleased to announce that David Harris, RLA, ASLA, has joined the firm as landscape design director in Tempe, Arizona.
Mr. Harris received his B.S. degree, in Landscape Architecture Environmental Planning from Utah State University in 1991.
LSD, one of the largest woman-owned environmental planning and landscape architecture firms in the West, has offices in Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Fort Collins, Denver, Tempe, and Tucson.
Prior to joining LSD, Mr. Harris was part of the team that created Phoenix's highly recognized Civic Space Park. He also managed work for Diyar Al Muharraq, in the Kingdom of Bahrain, where he served as the project manager for the landscape and urban realm team.

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